With the playoff edition of the Battle of Ontario set to be reignited, the province’s fan bases are set to become reacquainted with high interprovincial stakes. No doubt both fan bases are familiar with their rival’s team, but the nuances and storylines of their journey here will not be as sharp.
What lies ahead for the Leafs when they take on the Ottawa Senators? What better place to look than through the eyes of their fans? Let’s take a look at what Sens fans are saying about their team.
Jake Sanderson, the best d-man in the series?
While he might already seem to have been in the league for a while, Jake Sanderson is still quite young. Sanderson has been a strong presence, the team’s best defenceman in fact, but is still just scratching the surface of his effectiveness. Many objective observers might see Sanderson as the best defenceman in this series altogether.
Sanderson did get a taste of high-level competition, getting some games for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Sanderson was the second youngest defenceman in the tournament, a month older than teammate Brock Faber. While Sanderson is not a dazzling offensive talent, he is effective in all phases of the game. He is in a tight battle with Brady Tkachuk as the Sens third-highest scoring player.
Instead, Sanderson uses his skating, strength, and overall quality to impact the game in all areas, playing on the top unit of both special teams. Sanderson can cover a lot of ice, and will be charged with shutting down the Leafs best players. In his first playoff action, the Leafs will have to try to force Sanderson into mistakes. He has all the tools to rise to the occasion, save perhaps the experience.
Green’s system vs. stars
The Sens third-highest point scorer being shy of 60 points does seem a bit jarring from a distance. Some might even call Tkachuk’s production underwhelming. This has led to thoughts by some that the coaching of Travis Green is stifling the Sens stars’ creativity. To an extent, this is true, but the bigger takeaway should be that this is a symptom of the best thing that the Sens have changed to reach this point.
The Sens have become a much better defensive team. While the forward group is deeper, the blueline more cohesive, and the goalies improved over seasons past, the Sens have found a greater identity to commit to. Green deserves a lot of credit, perhaps even some consideration for the Jack Adams Trophy, for his work here. This might be most evident in individual stats, from expected goals to points, of the Sens core players.
Staios is a game-changer
Admittedly, this new era of the Sens goes higher than the coach, all the way up to ownership. The vision of the team has changed since the team was last in the playoffs, and close ties between ownership and the president and GM Steve Staios have been vital towards steering the ship.
Staios has been bold and intentional in reshaping the roster, building around a young core featuring a lot of talent. Many of the players that Staios has brought in are vital to the team’s success. Winning solves everything, but it is hard not to be impressed by Staios as a GM so far.
Dylan Cozens was a costly acquisition, but he has been promising already. A long-term fit will see the Sens with a centre to raise the overall skill and size of their group. Fabian Zetterlund may not be big, but he plays with an edge and should be a long-term middle-six winger. Adding such players at the deadline was certainly a splash, but Staios had been even prior.
Linus Ullmark has been excellent, the team’s best goaltending performance in years. David Perron has continued to age gracefully, fully embraced by the franchise, akin to Claude Giroux. Nick Jensen has been instrumental in stabilizing the blueline.
It has cost the Sens, as Staios has needed to be bold in getting it all done. It may have seemed steep to lose players such as Jakob Chychrun and Josh Norris, but Staios has made his team better for it. Support for their GM is quite high among most Sens fans.
Third pairing struggles
It certainly is not all sunshine and roses for Sens fans, as the third defence pairing remains a contentious issue. The Sens have a lot of size and strength with the four candidates to work with in forming a third pair.
Tyler Kleven is the staple, as the towering rookie left-shot has held down the spot most of the season. Kleven does not play a regular role on the penalty kill yet, a role he will need to earn to get more ice time in the future. To an extent, this speaks to his inexperience, as well as how much the Sens top four defencemen are relied upon.
The two most likely candidates as his right-shot partner are veteran Travis Hamonic and rookie Nikolas Matinpalo. In a tale as old as time, the Sens coaches seem to prefer Hamonic, who has been the option to play further up the lineup when needed. Some fans, meanwhile, dread the thought of the veteran caught on the ice against the Leafs stars. Hamonic is willing to throw the body, and the Leafs left wingers should be aware when he is on the ice.
The alternative would be Matinpalo. An older rookie at 25 years old, Matinpalo was thrust into the spotlight for Team Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off before he had earned a full-time role in the NHL. Despite his uncommon story, there is a lot to like about Matinpalo, who has all the tools to become an NHL regular and even push for a greater role in the future. Mantinpalo has a good package of size and skating, but has shown some offensive functionality as well.
Either way, if the Sens look to change up their lineup, this might be an area they look to. There is an argument that Hamonic might be better equipped to handle a top-four role, while Matinpalo might be a better fit for Kleven. Expect Sens fans to focus on this area if things go poorly.
Stutzle, shoot the puck
Clearly the Sens most dynamic offensive talent, Tim Stutzle, has had some dry spells throughout the season. Often, these have come when split away from Brady Tkachuk. While not hugely concerning, there is an openly discussed solution: for the centre to shoot more often.
A former 39-goal scorer, Stutzle has managed just over 50 goals combined in the two seasons since. Even more, his shot totals dipped from 228 in his 39-goal season to just 153 this season, and in more games. The instinct to pass is noble, perhaps even an effective strategy alongside a power forward like Tkachuk, but Stutzle is receiving encouragement from his coaches to get back to his shooting ways.
Pinto and Greig
A big part of the Sens newfound identity lies in their forward depth. The hallmark of this is the development of both Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig. The Sens have a near-unbeaten record in games when Pinto records a point. Greig joins to form a duo with heaps of physicality and intensity in all situations. The duo is trusted defensively, and forms the identity of the Sens third line.
Giroux has a lot left in the tank
Undoubtedly, Claude Giroux has been a great UFA signing for the Sens, but he is not quite the player he once was. Giroux offered the Sens two vintage seasons, now slightly less effective in his third with the team. Still, Giroux is undeniably one of the Sens top forwards, and should have some good hockey left.
Sens fans might be split on feelings towards his future, but for no,w he will be a key part of their playoff hopes. He has been a strong playoff performer in the past, and should have some magic left in the tank.
Bad changes costing
The Sens have been caught on some ill-timed changes recently, resulting in scoring chances and goals against. While this might not be much of a guarantee, the Leafs would do well to punish any of these unforced errors, especially during second periods.
Hayden Hodgson, the new kid on the block
The Sens have a developing late-season storyline, as 29-year-old journeyman Hayden Hodgson has gotten a look in the lineup. While Hodgson is not expected to be a factor offensively, the Leafs will have to be prepared for his presence in the lineup. Hodgson is a willing combatant, a force forechecker, and a potential wildcard factor on the fourth line.
The rough and tumble Hodgson has turned heads with his aggressive and passionate play, earning some supporters among the fan base. Leafs defencemen, likely those on the third pairing, will need to be aware as Hodgson will look make his presence known. The veteran Oliver Ekman-Larsson might be able to navigate the waters, but less cunning players might be in for a rude awakening.
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